Lock mechanism



Dec. 21, 1954 F. J. MCCONNELL a-rm. 2,697,342

LOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 19, 1949 ATTORNEKS' United States Patent LOCK MECHANISM Frank J. McConnell and Irving J. Fletcher, New Britain,

Conm, assignors to The American Hardware Corporation, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application March 19, 1949, Serial No. 82,381,

new Patent No. 2,645,927, dated July 21, 1953. Dig'diegoand this application July 14, 1953, Serial No.

4 Claims. (Cl. 70-216) This application is a division of application Serial No. 82,381, filed March 19, 1949, now U. S. Patent 2,645,927, issued July 21, 1953.

Our invention relates to a latch-actuating mechanism, and this application concerns improvements in mechanisms of the type disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,620,646, issued December 9, 1952, to Frank McConnell.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved dogging mechanism, complete in itself and readily adaptable to a more or less conventional latch mechanism.

It is a further object to provide an improved dogcontrol mechanism for a latch, wherein the do ging function may be independently controlled from either side of the door to which the mechanism is applied.

It is a specific object to provide a unitary rose-anddoor-handle construction adaptable directly to control a latch mechanism and incorporating dogging means selectably operable from either side of'a door.

It is another specific ob ect to provide an improved unitary latch-actuating mechanism and door handle and key-operated lock, wherein part of a dogging mechanism is operated by the lock, and wherein the key to the lock may not be removed unless the part operated by the key is in its dogging position.

It is still another specific obiect to provide an improved dogging mechanism for a latch and utilizing two independently operable parts which may dog the latch when mutually engaged and which are both movable in the same sense. i. e. in the same general direction.

It is a further specific object to provide improved means for removably holding a cylinder lock in a knob in a latch-actuating mechanism of the character indicated.

It is also a specific obiect to provide dogging means for dogging a lock and a knob against relative rotation or against rotation in a rose except for certain desired relative positions of said lock and of said knob.

It is another specific obiect to meet the above objects with a lock assembly which may be rightor left-handed without reversing the cylinder or the knob connections.

Other ob ects and various further features of the invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanving drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, prefered forms of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side view in partial section of a latch mechanism to which a novel unitary rose and door knob have been applied in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken more or less in the plane 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an inside end view of the device of Fig. 2, with the rose case shown in section more or less in the plane 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken in the plane 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view in the plane 22 of Fig. 1, and illustrating a different relation of parts than is shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is another fragmentary sectional view in the plane 22 of Fig. 1 and showing still another relationship of parts;

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of certain of the internal parts of the assembly of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and illustrating a modified construction.

Briefly stated, in a preferred form our invention contemplates an improved latch-dogging means which may be employed for what may be termed the selective dogging of a latch from either side of a door. The dogging means may utilize two engageable yet relatively movable elements movable in the same sense, i. e. in the same general direction. One of these elements may be actuated from one side of the door, and the other of these elements may be actuated from the other side of the door. In the forms to be described, a latch-actuating mechanism is selectably dogged, and this mechanism includes two generally transversely or radially movable dogging members. One of the dogging members may be moved into or out of possible dogging relation with the other of said dogging members upon a keyoperated motion, and the other of said dogging members may be operated in or out of possible dogging engagement with said one member in response to an operation from the inside of the door. Novel means are described for holding a cylinder lock in a knob and for assuring against relative rotation of the knob and of the cylinder lock except for said desired relationship between these members.

Referring to the drawings, our invention is shown in application to a unitary rose structure 10 with a transversely extending spindle 11 to engage the rollback means 12 of a tubular-type latch 13. The latch 13 may be inserted in a single bore 14 from the edge of a door 15, and the latch front 16 may be sunk flush into the edge of the door 15 and held by mounting screws (not shown) in the conventional manner. Rotation of the spindle 11 will be understood to cause gear means on the rollback 12 to engage the rack 17 on a latch carriage so as to withdraw the latch bolt 18. The latch case 13 may include openings, as at 19, at opposite sides thereof for the transverse passage of a further spindle 20 to operate dogging means of the in\enti0n. This further spindle 20 may be operated by manual means, such as a short crank or lever 21. The latch 13 may be of a type disclosed in greater detail in U. S. Patent No. 2,614,876, issued October 21, 1952, to Frank McConnell.

In accordance with the invention, we provide a novel structure external of the latch assembly 13 and adaptable thereto for the selective independent dogging of handle operation from either side of the door. This selective dogging function may be achieved by the use of two relatively movable members moving essentially in the same sense or general direction, which happens to be shown as transversely of the knob axis; stated in other words, when both members are in dogged engagement, a movement of one member in one direction may serve to disengage both members, or an independent movement of the other member in generally the opposite direction may serve to disengage both members. One of these members may be actuated from one side of the door for displacement in or out of possible dogging engagement with the other member, and the other of these members may be actuated from the other side of the door in or out of possible dogging engagement with the first member.

In the form shown, both dogging members are displaceable generally transversely or radially of the rotation axis of the spindle 11. One of the members may thus be a radially slidable bolt 22 actuable from the outside of the door and locked (as by keys or suitable guides) against rotation relative to the spindle 11 and relative to the outside knob 30. Such keying or locking against relative rotation may be accomplished by locating the bolt 22 in a diametrically extending guide or slot 23 in a locking hub or connector 24. The same slot or groove 23 may also be engaged by diametrically opposite longitudinal projections 25 on a spindle hub member or connector 26 having a square or otherwise suitably formed central opening 27 for proper engagement with the shank The locking hub 24 may further include a diametrically extending slot on the outside, as defined by walls 28 to overlap mating flats 29 on the shank of the outside knob 30. It will thus be clear that, when assembled, there may be a direct torque-transmitting relation between the outside knob 30 and the spindle 11 by way of the locking hub 24 and the spindle hub 26, and that the bolt 22 may always be carried with rotation of the knob.

In order transversely to position the bolt 22, we ernploy crank means utilizing a crank pin 32 on a member 33 to be actuated independently of the knob 30 from the outside of the door. In the form shown, the member 33, and hence the positioning of the bolt 22, is determined by operation of the key 34 for a cylindrical lock. 35 held within the knob 30; thelock casing 35 may be held against rotation by means of inwardly directed lugs (not shown) cast inside the knob 3.0, as is customary. The member 33 may be connected to the plug 36 of the cylinder lock 35 by means of a tongue 37 fitting in a slot 38.

The other dogging member which is to cooperate with the bolt 22 is actuable independently of the bolt 22 from the inside of the door, as by manual setting of the spindle 20 by shifting the hand crank 21. This other member may be a transversely slidable plate 39 having abutment means in the form of a slot or groove 40 to engage or be engaged by the bolt- 22. The plate 39 may be slidably guided by ways 41 formed in the case or frame 42 of the rose assembly 10. In the form shown, the sliding plate 39 is positioned by crank means 43 driven by the spindle 20 and engageable with a follower slot 44 in the sliding plate 39. Thus, it will be clear that by merely shifting the handle 21 downward from the phantom position shown in Fig. l, crank 43 may drive the sliding dog plate 39 upward from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to the position shown in Fig. 7,. If desired, duplicate cranking means 45 may be provided more or less diametrically opposite the cranking means 43, for engagement with another follower slot 46 in the slide plate 39, in order of the spindle 11.

to render the mechanism adaptable to lock installations in which it is more convenient to use an actuating spindle 20' in place of the spindle 2 0,. The supporting bosses for both cranking means 434 5; may be journalled in a cover plate 47 supported in the rose frame 42 and held therein as by swaging or points. The cover plate 47 may also be formed with a central cupped-and-fianged portion 48 in order to provide bearing support for the spindle hub 26,. as will be clear. The knob 30- may be journalled in'the rose frame 42 at 49, and a snap ring 50 may retain the knob 39 by abutting the bottom of the bore in the rose frame 42.

In order to retain one orthe other of the selectable positions, for the slide plate 39, we have shown springdetent means 52 which may be wrapped around and located by one of the mounting boxes 51 in the rose 42',

the bosses 51 may be threaded to receive securing screws 51 for securing the rose assembly 10 to the door. The free end of the spring means 52 may cooperate with an upturned lug or other abutment 53 on the plate 39; in the preferred form shown, the free end of the spring means 50' is so contoured that the plate 3,9 will be resiliently urged in a downward direction for substantially all possible angular positions of the hand lever 21 except substantially the upper or topmost position of plate 39, in which case the detent or knee 54 may engage the underside of the lug 53. With such construction of the spring means 50, it will be. appreciated that, even if the key 34 were returned to its locked position (i. e. bolt extended) while the knob is actuated (i. e. while bolt 22 is not aligned with the dog-plate opening 40), a return of the knob 30 to the normal or latched position will not result in throwing off a locked setting of the hand lever 21' (i. e. of the dog plate 39).; but the dog plate 39 will in effect latch itself on. the bolt 22 as the knob 39 reaches the latched position, and the lock-setting of the door from the inside may remain secure.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, we provide novel means for retaining the cylinder lock 35 in the knob 34). Such retaining means contemplates utilization of flange or other radially extending means 55 on the crank end of the member 33 to serve as abutment means to cooperate with the projecting shank end 56 of the knob 30. The member 33 must therefore be inserted from the inside, while the lock 35 is inserted from the outside. When properly inserted, the tongue-and-slot staking at spaced peripheral engagement 37-38 will be effected, and transversely extending means may be employed to axially secure the lock plug 36 to the crank member 33 and thus to retain both the crank member 33 and the lock 35 in the knob 30. In the form shown, such transversely extending means is a screw 58 threaded in the plug 36 and including a dog point 59 projecting into a suitably formed transverse hole 68 in the crank member 33. The overall length of the screw 58 together with its dog point 59 is preferably such that, when the screw 58 is disengaged from the hole 60 in the crank member 33, the outer end 61 thereof projects radially externally of the plug 36 or at least projects to an extent so as to interfere with a radially inwardly projecting shoulder or lip 62 which may be formed as a part of the knob 30. The lip 62 may be circumferentially continuous except for a relatively small axial opening or passage 63 through which the then-projecting end 61 of the screw 58 may be axially passed, and the lock 35 then removed from the knob 30. Access may be had to the screw 58. for adjustment purposes through a hole or opening 64 in the knob 30, and for the arrangement shown a small socket wrench for the socket 65 of screw 58 may be inserted to adjust the screw 58 for the one plug angle at which the screw socket 65 registers with the opening 64. For security purposes, it is preferred that the adjustment opening 64 and the axialpassage slot 63 shall be at different angles about the axis of the knob 30, and the passage 63 is preferably at such an angle that key operation of the lock 35 will be necessary in order to remove the lock 35, although key operation may or may not be required in order to register the set screw 58 with the access opening 64. If desired, a spring washer 66 (Fig. 2) may be interposed between cooperating shoulders or abutments on the lock plug 36 and on the crank member 33 in order to assure more ready removal of the lock 35 upon a loosening of the screw 58, as will be clear.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, we provide means to assurev that the knob 30 and the lock 35 may be operated with respect to each other and with respect to the rose frame 42 only for certain desired angular relations. Such means contemplates further dogging means, and in the form shown we have provided a ball 67 to serve this added dogging function. The ball 67 may be guided by a radially extending hole 68 in the knob shank, and the ball diameter preferably exceeds the radial thickness of the knob shank at the location of the hole 68. The ball 67 may on the one hand fall in a slot or other limited opening 70 in the rose frame 42, in which case the ball 67 will be in non=interfering relation with the key-operated rotation of the crank member 33. The ball 67 may also be movable into a recessor other limited opening 71 in the crank member 33, and when so located in the opening 71, the ball 70 may serve to dog the lock plug 36 to the knob30. When the key 34 has been operated so as to shift the bolt 22 and also to reposition the crank member 33 with respect to the ball slot 68, the ball 67 may also be in position to ride in a further ball-receiving opening 72 which may be angularly spaced from (and of similar configuration to) the opening 71 (see Fig. 5). Thus it will be clear that, as far as the dogging means 67 is concerned, the knob 30 can be operated for one of two positions .of the boltcranking member 33. For all intermediate positions, the high point or land 74 between the openings 71-72 will be presented to the ball 67, and any attempt to rotate the knob 30 will be opposed by the dogging effect of the land 74 which will be understood, to prevent the ball 67 from rising out of the slotted opening 70 in the rose frame 42.

In Fig. 9, we have shown a slightly modified structure in which further spring means 75 are employed to provide a more positive downward urging and detent action for the dog plate 39. The spring 75' may include a knee 76 so positioned as resiliently to urge an upturned lug 77 downward, for most possible positions of the plate 39. We prefer that the knee 76 shall ride under the lug 77 substantially only for the topmost positions (unlocked or undogged) of the dog plate 39.

The functioning of our lock mechanism will perhaps be better understood from a description of several possible relationships of the parts. In Fig. 2, we have shown the assembly at a time when the handle 21 has been set so as to lower the. dogging slot 40 of the slide plate 39 to its bottom position, that 1s, in positionfor dogging engagement with the outside-actuated bolt 22. In Fig. 2, the key 34 has merely been inserted, it has not been turned. The bolt 32 is, therefore, shown in its upward or dogging position, doggingly engaging the dogging slot 40. Since the knob 30 cannot rotate unless the bolt 22 is free to move angularly, then the knob 30 is dogged and knob operation is impossible.

Upon turning the key 34, the plug 36 and the plugdriven cranking member 33 will be rotated; and the bolt 22 will be driven to its downward position, out of possible dogging relation with the dogging slot 40 of the slide plate 39 (see Fig. 6). The bolt 22 may now move with the knob 30, and a through drive is cleared to the spindle 11 and thus to the latch mechanism 13, whereby the door may be opened from the outside.

Assuming now that the key has been removed and that the bolt 22 has therefore been repositioned in the up or dogging position (see Fig. 7), let it be considered that the hand crank 21 is operated from the inside of the door. Such operation may drive the slide plate 39 to its upper limit of motion and such position may be held by the detent spring means 52 or 5275, as the case may be. In such position the dogging slot 40 is out of possible dogging relation with the bolt 22, and, despite the fact that the key 34 has not been operated, there is an undogged relationship between either the inside knob or the outside knob and the spindle 11.

It will be seen that we have described a relatively simple and ingenious unitary rose-and-outside-knob construction for operation with a wide variety of latch constructions. With our arrangement, parts are simple and readily fabricated, and a number of security features are provided. The latch may be set independently from either side of the door.

A simplified construction has also been shown for holding a cylinder lock in a door so that, if for any reason it should be necessary to remove the lock for repair or replacement, there is no need to dismount the rose assembly from the door. Further, it will be noted that our lock assembly, complete with cylinder lock, may be mounted for either rightout requiring reversal of the cylinder.

While we have described our invention in detail for the preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a device of the character indicated, a knob, a cylinder lock to be inserted in said knob from the outside and including shoulder means to limit inward inserting movement of said lock in said knob, means to be actuated by said lock and to be inserted in said knob or left-hand installations withfrom the inside thereof, last-mentioned means including abutment means limiting said insertion from the inside, and means engaging said two inserted parts for holding said lock in said knob.

2 In a device of the character indicated, a knob, a cylinder lock to be inserted from the outside of said knob, means to be operated by said lock and insertable in said knob from the inside of said knob, said last-defined means including an abutment limiting such inserting movement and including a part longitudinally overlapping a part of said lock, and transversely extending means accessible through an opening in said knob and engaging said overlapping parts.

In a device of the character indicated, a knob, a lock insertable from the outside of said knob, means to be operated by said lock and insertable from the inside of said knob and including an abutment limiting such inserting movement, said last-defined means and said lock having axially overlapping parts, means accessible through an opening in said knob and transversely movable to engage said knob and said means to be actuated by said knob, said transversely extending means pro ecting transversely beyond a part of said lock when removed from a position engaging said lock and said means to be actuated by said lock, means on said knob in position to intercept axial removing displacement of said lock from said knob when said transversely extending means is in an angular position corresponding to the position of said opening, said intercepting means being ineifective to engage said transversely extending means at another angular position of said lock relatively to said knob.

4 In a device of the character indicated, a knob, a lock insertable in said knob from the outside thereof, means to be actuated by said lock and including a retaining abutment and insertable from the inside of said knob, said lock and said means being engageable against relative axial movement, and means operable upon an external operation for releasing said engagement, Whereby the lock may be removed from said knob.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,545,712 Toy July 14, 1925 2,027,731 Holpfer Jan. 14, 1936 2,135,323 Brantingson Nov. 1, 1938 2,612,771 Clark Oct. 7, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 752,341 France July 17, 1933 

